You want clean drinking water for your family—it’s the very least you can expect from your household water. Water purifiers and filters, as well as other treatment systems, are sometimes required. However, what about your home’s pipes?
Customers frequently inquire if their pipes are contaminating the water supply. Plastic pipes are more used for both hot and cold waterlines carrying freshwater, and we’ll look at any safety concerns you might have with your home’s plumbing. Today’s pipes are made of plastics like:
- Polyethylene cross-linked (PEX)
- Polyvinyl chloride is a type of plastic that comes in a variety of (PVC)
- Polyvinyl chloride is a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride that has been treated with chlorine (CPVC)
Copper has been the conventional plumbing piping material since the 1970s. Copper took the place of galvanized steel, which rusted and contaminated the water supply with lead. Although aged copper installations (before 1990) may have lead-based soldering, copper is safer because it is corrosion-resistant.
Plastic piping, primarily PVC, CPVC, and PEX, began to gain popularity simultaneously as copper. These plastics have all been authorized for use in new waterlines and should pose no health risks to your family. They’re labeled NSF-61, which means they meet government drinking water safety standards. If you recently had PVC or CPVC pipes installed in your home, you may have noticed a distinct plastic taste in your water.
This is frequently what makes people concerned about the pipes’ safety. Some toxins from the plastic production process may end up in the water, but they are safe to drink, and the plastic flavor should fade after a few months. PEX piping, which is becoming increasingly popular among plumbers each year, may impart a plastic flavor, but this is unlikely.
The Advantages of Plastic Piping
Whatever type of plastic piping you choose for your home remodel or new waterline, you can rest assured that it will provide the following benefits :
Dependable and certified
Plastic piping is subjected to third-party accreditation against NSF International’s rigorous universal design. For example, NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 has approved that plastic pipes meet quality and safe drinking water criteria. Your piping is secure to use for drinking water if it bears the NSF (or other third-party) regularly checked.
Cost-effectiveness and affordability
Plastic piping is thinner than steel piping, meaning it is less costly to ship and build. Because of the time and labor savings, you will typically charge less and affordable.
Flexibility is critical.
Because it’s simple to snake, flexible plastic piping through walls, retrofits, and remodels also can avoid ripping existing open walls—and the associated costs.
Compatibility with current structures is a must.
Since plastic piping works for most installed systems, it’s simple to install in an older house. Suppose you want the services of a plumber in Connecticut to investigate your repiping requirements. A-Team plumbers will inspect your plumbing system to determine how much pipe replacement is required to bring your home up to code and ensure your drinking water safety. Also, we collaborate with water treatment facilities to keep your families safe.
Low-maintenance and long-lasting
Rust and degradation are not an issue for plastic piping. Depending on the application, specific plastic piping systems will last 50 years or more.
Broad-term viability
Plastic pipes have a lower environmental footprint than other components, according to life cycle assessments.
In a nutshell, plastic pipes are not detrimental to drinking water. In reality, if you need to update your home’s plumbing system, they might be the best form of piping to use. As previously stated, a home constructed before 1970 can have galvanized steel—or even iron and lead—pipes, which may leach toxic chemicals into the water and corrode and decay.
A-Team Plumbing & Drain can provide plastic pipe installation for your building, ensuring safe and healthy drinking water all year round.